Chester Zoo 10k

Anyone up for this ? Anyone run it before ?
And will I be in any state to look aroiund the zoo afterwards - probably not.
Mmm - that monorail looks promising.

Comments

  • I have run this before, it's a nice flatish course but the start is quite narrow so it's best to position yourself correctly at the start if you are looking for a PB. The finish goes past the Cheetahs which helps with the sprint finish. I also took my kids around the fun run beforehand; like the full race this started outside the zoo and finished inside so it was a way of getting cheap entry. We were running alongside overweight adults with a fag in one hand and a cool box in the other!
  • I'm looking at this one for one of my autumn 10Ks.
    I did it in (I think) 96, 97 and 99 - the latter an incredibly wet affair.
    As DavidB says, start is narrow - you need to position yourself carefully some time in advance to avoid being badly impeded for the first 100-150m.
    1K to 2K is a track which passes through the zoo under a couple of bridges - 3 years ago it was very muddy & slippery - they may have improved this bit of the course by now.
    After that it hits the roads, which are reasonably flat most of the way. In 99, the wet helped undo my shoelace at about 8K which was a major pain in the *rse.
    If you're looking for a PB, you need to be well ahead of schedule by now. The reason why comes at 9K when you cross a small hump bridge and a pleasant little surprise awaits in the form of 400m or so of a 1 in 10 uphill. If you can manage a fast finish after that climb, you're doing very well!
  • Thanks for the info Mike.

    I think I know the track through the zoo - I've ridden my bike along it a few times, mainly in the wet (typical !) and it was slippy and muddy on the downhill before you hit the roads.

    I'll try and make sure I get near the front at the start (first time for everything !)
  • HigsHigs ✭✭✭
    I've got an entry form which says "New Course, New Start, New Finish" so perhaps the narrow start, muddy path and uphill finish are a thing of the past?

    Anyone know?
  • I've emailed the address given for the organiser asking for an electronic copy of the entry form and whether or not he can confirm the start and finish have changed!
  • Excellent Mike let us know !
  • There aren't any cheetahs now so no worries. Love the sound of the hill. Reminds me of the old Barnsley Marathon, last 4 miles uphill there.
  • The response was a rather terse email directing me to the West Cheshire AC site for an entry form and confirming that the start & finish have changed, without specifying exactly how.

    The bit on the website about the race could have come straight out of the old Guardian "Naked Ape" column ("you could also keep the wife happy by visiting Cheshire Oaks Outlet village on the way home") - quaint would be one description.
  • OK - Got the website : http://www.westcheshireac.gq.nu/

    You can print the entry from there.
    Dunno about keeping the wife happay at Cheshire Oaks - I keep popping into the Adidas shop there for bargains - they sell off the FLM kit - I picked up 2 technical Tees from 2001 for £5 each.

    If anyone sees any 2002 stuff in there, please let me know - I was far too stingy to pay £60+ for a Rain jacket at the Exhibition.

    Cheers

    L

  • There wasn't much info last year either, all it said was that it was the same course as previous years. Not very helpful when it was my first ever 10K race. This year they seem to be just as helpful, ... not. New course, new start, new finish. Does this mean the finish is no longer inside the zoo??

    The details on the website are also rather patronising as the field last year contained a large percentage of women, who in most cases won't have a wife! I guess someone was trying to be amusing but failed.

  • Oh well I've entered it now. Although having run Guilden Sutton and suffering all the way, not sure why. Am I mad - I'm definitely not short of tee shirts, so it can't be that.
  • I'm going to be there - younger son is 4 now (he was 1 last time I ran it) and might be of an age to appreciate the zoo if nothing else. And - if he takes up the invitation from the General "Tailgating" thread - my new mate Brunswick may be there also. Something to look forward to.....
  • Mike - I've seen the thread ! Very interesting. I'm taking my 3 and a half year old too - he insists on racing me everywhere though, and I'll hardly be able to walk after a 10k race !

    We took him when he was 1 to the Zoo expecting him to be all wide eyed and impressed. Pah - only thing he liked was the ducks on the rivers (free at any local pond) and splashing in puddles. A very expensive day out and complete waste of time for him ! Kids eh ?
  • Mike,
    I'll have you a race and I'll be tailgating you all the way from about 10 minutes behind. Happy anniversary last Saturday by the way.

    Fat Face (Chester Zoo number 101)
  • Got my race number now - 587 . Also the family ticket for the zoo.

    Only worrying thing is that Mrs S has now said she thinks we've been invited to a christening that day....
  • Ha ! Got my number & family ticket. Darn - forgotten it ! I'll have a look at home tonight.

    Mike - you'll have to bin the christening -seeing as you entered for the zoo 10k first. That's only fair isn't it ?
  • I'll put that very plausible argument to Mrs S tonight. Might have to dig out the cricket pads, gloves, box, armguard & helmet (from the bag packed away for the winter last week) first though.....
  • So whats the final headcount for this one then?
    I'm aiming for 46:30 but it depends on the new course though.
  • Flip - developed a nasty cold - and doesn't look like I'll be capable of running on Sunday. I'll still go and cheer you on though.
  • no christening; but I've probably overdone the training load last few days. Not actually caught anything yet (I don't think) but I'm not far off it. Time for another Echinacea.....fingers crossed for Sunday.
  • I have number 1020 and got this on Wednesday morning by post. Probably the amount to be in th race, anyone got a higher number
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